[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter II

[Aaron Clausen]

> > [Carlos]
> > Carlos picks out a suit of armor; Triax T-43 Explorer armor, as well as grabbing
> > a TX-45 Particle Beam Rifle and WR-10 Ion Pistol.  He also grabs six plasma
> > grenades.
> > [/Carlos]

> [Lyle]
> Lyle keeps quiet while a plan is worked out. He is troubled by
> something but keeps it to himself. He helps around where needed. He
> peeks in to the sick bay and sees Osiris there and feels better. When
> the rest of the group heads to the armory, he follows and grabs
> himself a TX-45, 2 fusion blocks and 4 Plasma grenades, figuring he'll
> need the firepower for what ever they are going to be doing.
> [/Lyle]

> > [GM]
> > A young crew woman appears after a few minutes.  "The Captain wants you all
> > right away.  Except you," she says to Carlos, "you go to the sick bay."
> >
> > She leads them to an elevator, and they go down a seemingly impossible
> > distance before it opens up at the pocket dimension again.  The Captain,
> > two guards and Raven are there already.

Raven is holding a device that looks like a large calculator repaired by a kid
stoned out on Sugar Bomb cereal.  Wires poke out of it at odd an seemingly
unexplanatory places.  Beside her are three basket ball sized orbs, glowing
blue with mystic energy.

The Captain turns to Lyle.  "Good luck, Sir Lyle.  I put this operation in your
charge.  And remember, if at all possible, try to learn something about our...
captors.  But if the only option is blowing the place sky high, then do it."

When everyone is ready, Raven begins operating the device.  Her own
mystic energies, plus those of the PPE batteries flow into the device.  At
first the calculator just seems to hum, but then, once Raven enters the
co-ordinates the Captain told her, suddenly it begins to glow and vibrate.
The nearest wall of the pocket dimension seems to become elastic, then
swirl like a cotton candy machine.

A tiny hole seems to appear in the vortex, then it grows bigger and bigger
until it is about six feet in diameter.  Beyond is a passageway, not unlike
the passages in the sub, but wider, lit by a few blue phosphorescent lighting
tubes that flicker.  There is a burst of wet, humid and very cold air.
 This place
is only a few degrees above freezing.

The Captain hands Raven a couple of more PPE batteries in a leather bag.
"We don't have anything smaller, and if this gate closes, you'll need
to get back.
My understanding is just to enter the co-ordinates '0-0-0-0' to open a gate back
here."

She salutes the party.  "Good luck, and may the Gods' be with you!"
> > [/GM]

OOC: I'm assuming everybody breaks on through to the other side.

[Carlos]
Carlos, still limping, takes the rear.
[/Carlos]

[GM]
As Carlos walks through the door, the gateway seems to flash, and then
in the blink of an eye it closes.  They are now standing in those cold,
damp passageway.  It stretches about a hundred feet ahead, ending at
a sealed hatch, and about seventy feet back to another hatch that is open.
Beyond the open hatch they can only see brighter lights, and then what
might be movement, a shadow walking in front of a distant light and then
disappearing.  There's a dull clanging sound from the direction of the
open hatch.

As to the passage itself, other than various pipes, there are no doors, save
for a single one marked "Airlock" by a flickering yellow light.  The floor
is made up of removable grates, and below can be glimpsed more pipes.
The place feels very old and in disrepair, and it's some wonder that it's
still watertight.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com